Pepin, de Landen, Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia Dutch: Pippijn, van Landen, French: Pépin, de Landen, Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia
Also Known As:	"Blessed", "Pepin le Vieux", "Pepin I the Old", "Pepin of Landen", "Pepin the Elder", "Pepin I", "Pippin den Ã¤ldre", "Peppin", "Pipin", "Pippin", "Pipino", "Pepi..."
Birthdate:	circa 580
Birthplace:	Landen, Vlaams Gewest, Belgium
Death:	February 27, 640 (55-64) Metz, Moselle, Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine, France
Place of Burial:	Nivelles, Arrondissement de Nivelles, Walloon Brabant, Belgium
Immediate Family:	Husband of Saint Itta of Nivelles Father of Saint Beggue of Austrasia; Grimoald I, Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia; Saint Bavo of Ghent and Saint Gertrudis of Nivelles
Occupation:	Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia for Clotaire II and Dagobert, 1st Duke of Brabant, Maire du Palais d'Austrasie (626-629), , Major Domus Of Clothary II, Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia, Major Domus of Austrasia, Frankisch hofmeier, hofmeier Austrasie

Managed by:	Private User
Last Updated:	April 18, 2024

View Complete Profile

view all

Immediate Family

Saint Itta of Nivelles

wife
Saint Beggue of Austrasia

daughter
Grimoald I, Mayor of the Palace ...

son
Saint Bavo of Ghent

son
Saint Gertrudis of Nivelles

daughter

About Pepin of Landen

http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/FRANKSMaiordomi.htm#_Toc359686213

Regarding his NN father: named as Carloman in the Chronicle of Fredegar See: https://www.geni.com/discussions/158856?msg=1100011 na
"The Chronicle of Fredegar is a fascinating document, but internal evidence and comparison to surviving sources shows it is Carolingian propaganda, written with a conscious purpose of glorifying (and improving) their ancestry. It contains many "mistakes" and many impossibilities."[Justin Durand]

Notice that MedLands stops at Pepin:
http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/FRANKSMaiordomi.htm#_Toc359686213

Link to: Helmut Reimitz, History, Frankish Identity and the Framing of Western Ethnicity, 550-850 (Cambridge University Press, 2015). https://books.google.com/books?[id=ic4_CgAAQBAJ&pg=PA217&lpg...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepin_of_Landen (37 languages)

Pepin I (also Peppin, Pipin, or Pippin) of Landen (c. 580 – 27 February 640), also called the Elder or the Old, was the Mayor of the palace of Austrasia under the Merovingian King Dagobert I from 623 to 629. He was also the Mayor for Sigebert III from 639 until his death.

 Life

Pepin's father was named Carloman[1] by the Chronicle of Fredegar, the chief source for his life. His byname comes from his probable birthplace: Landen, modern Belgium. However, according to Godefroid Kurth, it was only in the twelfth century that the chroniclers of Brabant began to associate him with that locality.[2] He is sometimes called Pepin I and his other nicknames (Elder and Old) come from his position at the head of the family called the Pippinids after him.

He was lord of a great part of Brabant, and governor of Austrasia, when their king, Theodebert II, was defeated by Theodoric II, king of Burgundy.[1] In 613, several leading magnates of Austrasia and Burgundy abandoned Brunhilda, the great-grandmother and regent of their king, Sigebert II, and turned to Chlothar II of Neustria for support, promising not to rise in defense of the queen-regent and recognizing Chlothar as rightful regent and guardian of the young king. Chief among these leading men were Warnachar II, Rado, Arnulf, and Pepin. The latter two were described by Fredegar as the "two most powerful barons of Austrasia" and they made some agreement with Chlothar at Andernach. However, while Rado was confirmed as mayor in Austrasia and Warnachar in Burgundy, Pepin did not receive his reward until 623, when he was appointed mayor in Austrasia after Chlothar made his young son Dagobert king there. Arnulf, his lifelong friend, was appointed adviser to the new king alongside him.

Pepin was praised by his contemporaries for his good government and wise counsel. Though some enemies tried to turn the king against him, their plots were foiled and Pepin remained on good terms with the king until 629, when, for reasons unknown, he retired (or was retired) to his estates, where he remained for the next decade, until Dagobert's death.

On Dagobert's death, Pepin came out of retirement to take on the mayoralty in Austrasia for the heir Sigebert III[2] and to oversee the distribution of the treasury between Sigebert and his brother, Clovis II, and his stepmother Nanthild, who was ruling on Clovis' behalf in Neustria and Burgundy. Sigebert's share of the inheritance was amicably surrendered, partly because of the friendship between Pepin and the Burgundian mayor of the palace, Aega. Pepin and Arnulf's successor as chief counselor to the king, Cunibert, Bishop of Cologne, received the treasure at Compiègne and brought it back to Metz. Pepin died in 640.[2] He was so popular in Austrasia that, though he was never canonized, he was listed as a saint in some martyrologies. Butler lists him as "blessed".[1] His feast day was 21 February.

He left two daughters and two sons by his wife, Itta:

Begga, married the aforementioned Ansegisel and later canonized
Grimoald, later mayor of the palace like his father
Bavo [citation needed] (or Allowin), became a hermit and later canonized
Gertrude, entered the convent of Nivelles founded by her mother, also later canonized.[3]

https://sensusfidelium.com/the-lives-of-the-fathers-martyrs-and-oth...

https://familytrees.genopro.com/azrael/2657897/Austrasia-PepinMayor...
_______

Pipin av Landen (fransk: Pépin), også kjent som Pipin I, Pipin den eldre eller Pipin den gamle (580–27. februar 640), var hovmester i Austrasia under merovingerkongene Klotar II, Dagobert I og Sigibert III fra 615 eller ca 623 til 629, da Dagobert pensjonerte ham. Han tok tilbake posten da Dagobert døde i 639 og beholdt den han selv døde 27. november 640.

Sammen med Arnulf av Metz, var han en av lederne i opprøret mot Brunhilda som førte til at hun ble torturert i hjel i hendene til hennes fiender.

Han ble født i Landen, Belgia, og navnet hans var opphavet til pipinidene da han var deres første forfar med det navnet.

Han hadde to døtre og en sønn med sin kone, Itta:

Sankt Begga som giftet seg med Ansegisel, sønnen til Arnulf, biskopen i Metz. Sønnen av dette ekteskapet, Pipin av Herstal, var Karl den stores oldefar.

Sankt Gertrude (625–17. mars 659) ble gravlagt i klosteret til Nijvel som ble grunlagt av hennes mor. Hun portretteres vanligvis sammen med mus.

Grimoald (616–662), rikshovmester i Austrasia fra 650 til 661

foi prefeito do palácio da Austrásia sob os reis merovíngios Clotário II, Dagoberto I e Sigeberto III, de 615 ou c. 623 a 629, quando Dagoberto o destituiu. Ele retomou o cargo novamente com a morte de Dagoberto em 639 até sua própria morte em 640. Junto com Arnulfo de Metz, ele foi um dos líderes da revolta contra Brunilda, vendo-a ser torturada até a morte nas mãos de seus inimigos.

Seu sobrenome procede de seu local de nascimento, Landen, na Bélgica. A partir de seu nome é designada a sua família, os pipinidas, dos quais ele foi o primeiro ancestral a distinguir o nome.

Apesar de Pepino nunca ter sido canonizado, ele é listado como um santo em algumas antigas listas de mártires cristãos (dia comemorativo: 21 de Fevereiro).

Pepin (also Pippin, Pipin, or Peppin) of Herstal (c. 635 – 16 December 714) was the Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia

[Austrasia formed the north-eastern portion of the Kingdom of the Merovingian Franks, comprising parts of the territory of pr...]

from 680 to his death and of Neustria

[The territory of Neustria originated in 511, made up of the regions from Aquitaine to the English Channel, approximating mos...]

and Burgundy

[Burgundy is a region of Western Europe which has existed as a political entity in a number of forms with very different boundaries...]

from 687 to 695. He was also the first mayor of the palace to "reign" as Duke and Prince of the Franks and he by far overshadowed the Merovingian

[The Merovingians were a dynasty of Frankish kings who ruled a frequently fluctuating area in parts of present-day France and...]

rois fainéants.

[Roi fainéant is a French language phrase meaning "do nothing king"....]

Pepin, sometimes called Pepin II and Pepin the Middle was the grandson and namesake of Pepin I the Elder

[Pippin of Landen , also known as Pippin I, Pippin the Elder, or Pippin the Old , was the Mayor of the Pala...]

by the marriage of Pepin I's daughter Begga

[Begga was the daughter of Pepin of Landen, mayor of the palace of Austrasia, and his wife Itta....]

and Ansegisel,

[Ansegisel was the son of Saint Arnulf, bishop of Metz and his wife Doda....]

son of Arnulf of Metz.

[Arnulf of Metz was a Frankish noble who had great influence in the Merovingian kingdoms as a bishop and was later canonized ...]

That marriage united the two houses of the Pippinids and the Arnulfings which created what would be called the Carolingian dynasty.

[The Carolingian Dynasty was a dynasty of rulers who began as mayors of the palaces and eventually became kings of the Franks...]

Pepin II was probably born in Herstal (Héristal),

[Herstal is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Lige....]

modern Belgium

[The Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France and is...]

(where his centre of power lay), whence his byname (sometimes "of Heristal").

As mayor of Austrasia, Pepin and Martin

[Martin was the count of Laon in the late 7th century....]

, the duke of Laon,

[Laon is a city and commune of France, prfecture of the Aisne dpartement. Population: 26,265....]

fought the Neustrian mayor Ebroin,

[Ebroin was the Frankish mayor of the palace of Neustria on two occasions; firstly from 658 to his deposition in 673 and seco...]

who had designs on all Frankland. Ebroin defeated the Austrasians at Lucofao and came close to uniting all the Franks under his rule; however, he was assassinated in 681, the victim of a combined attack by his numerous enemies. Pepin immediately made peace with his successor, Waratton.

[Waratton was the mayor of the palace of Neustria and Burgundy on two occasions, owing to the deposition he experienced at th...]

However, Waratton's successor, Berthar,

[Berthar was the mayor of the palace of Neustria and Burgundy from 686 to 687....]

and the Neustrian king Theuderic III,

[Theuderic III was the king of Neustria on two occasions and king of Austrasia from 679 to his death in 691....]

who, since 679, was nominal king of all the Franks, made war on Austrasia. The king and his mayor were decisively defeated at the Battle of Tertry

[The Battle of Tertry was an important engagement in Merovingian Gaul between the forces of Austrasia on one side and those o...]

(Textrice) in the Vermandois

[Vermandois was a French county composed originally of the two chatellenies of St Quentin and Peronne....]

in 687. Berthar and Theuderic withdrew themselves to Paris, where Pepin followed and eventually forced on them a peace treaty with the condition that Berthar leave his office. Pepin was created mayor in all three Frankish kingdoms (Austrasia, Neustria, and Burgundy) and began calling himself Duke and Prince of the Franks

[The title dux et princeps Francorum, or duke and prince of the Franks, was the title adopted by Pepin of Heristal...]

(dux et princeps Francorum). In the ensuing quarrels, Berthar killed his mother-in-law Ansfled and fled. His wife Anstrude married Pepin's eldest son Drogo,

[Drogo, son of Pepin the Middle and Plectrude, was the duke of Champagne by appointment of his father in 690 and duke of Burg...]

Duke of Champagne, and Pepin's place in Neustria was secured.

Over the next several years, Pepin subdued the Alemanni, Frisians,

[The Frisians are an ethnic group of northwestern Europe, inhabiting an area known as Frisia. ...]

and Franconians, bringing them within the Frankish sphere of influence. He also began the evangelisation of Germany. In 695, he placed Drogo in the Burgundian mayorship and his other son, Grimoald, in the Neustrian one.

Around 670, Pepin had married Plectrude,

[Plectrude or Plectrudis was the wife of Pepin of Heristal, the mayor of the palace and duke of the Franks, from about ...]

who had inherited substantial estates in the Moselle region.

[Moselle is a dpartement in the northeast of France named after the Moselle River. ...]

She was the mother of Drogo of Champagne and Grimoald, both of whom died before their father. However, Pepin also had a mistress named Alpaida (or Chalpaida) who bore him two more sons: Charles

[Charles Martel was the Mayor of the Palace and duke of the Franks....]

and Childebrand.

[Childebrand was a Frankish duke, son of Pepin of Heristal and Alpaida, brother of Charles Martel....]

Just before Pepin's death, Plectrude convinced him to disinherit his bastards in favour of his grandson, Theudoald,

[Theudoald or Theodald was the mayor of the palace, briefly unopposed in 714 until Ragenfrid was acclaimed in Neustria ...]

the son of Grimoald, who was still young (and amenable to Plectrude's control). Pepin died suddenly at an old age on 16 December 714, at Jupille.

[Jupille is a former Belgian municipality....]

(in modern Belgium). His legitimate grandchildren claimed themselves to be Pepin's true successors and, with the help of Plectrude, tried to maintain the position of mayor of the palace after Pepin's death. However, Charles had gained favor among the Austrasians, primarily for his military prowess and ability to keep them well supplied with booty from his conquests. Despite the efforts of Plectrude to silence her rival's child by imprisoning him, he became the sole mayor of the palace --and de facto ruler of Francia-- after a civil war which lasted for more than three years after Pepin's death.

From the Foundation for Medieval Genealogy page on Merovingian nobility:

http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/FRANKSMaiordomi.htm

PEPIN [I] "le Vieux" or "de Landen", son of --- (-[640]).

Adviser of King Dagobert I 622.

He was banished to Orléans in 629.

He was appointed maior domus in Austrasia in 639; according to Fredegar he was loved by the Austrasians "for his concern for justice and his goodness"[17].

The Liber Historiæ Francorum names "Pippino duce" as united with "Sighiberto" in governing the kingdom and having been retained by his younger brother "Chlodovecho"[18].

According to Fredegar, Pepin died about a year after King Dagobert[19]. The Annales Xantenses record the death in 647 of "Pippinus filius Karlomanni, maior domus Lotharii"[20].

married ITTA [Ittaberga], daughter of --- (592-652).

Pepin I and his wife had three children:

1. Begga (d. 693) second daughter of Pepin.

2. Grimoald (b. 615, d. 657 - beheaded) 2 children: Childebert King of the Franks (d. 662), and Wulfetrudis Abbess at Nivelles (639-669)

3. Gertrudis (d. 17 March 659)

Mayor of the Palace in Austrasia, d. 694, and his wife Itta, dau ofArnoldus, Bsp. of Metz, and niece of St. Modoald, Bsp.of Treves, sons,it is said of ANSBERTUS, the Senator (180-5) 1

The line of those we know as the Carolingians began with Pepin the Elder (circa 580-639) or Pepin of Landen. Some credit him with the true founding of the Carolingian dynasty though the dynasty name comes from Charles the Great or Charlemagne, the great great great grandson of Pepin the Elder.

During his years as administrator for the Merovingian rulers of Austrasia Pepin had watched his Queen Brunhild wage one of the longest and most bloody family feuds among the Merovingians. Brunhild was married to Austrasian ruler Sigebert I at the same time her sister Galswintha was married to Sigebert's brother Chilperic, king of Neustria. Fredegund, a long time concubine of Chilperic, murdered Queen Galswintha and married Chilperic becoming the Queen of Neustria. Queen Brunhild in an attempt to avenge her sister's death spent the next close to fifty years struggling to oust Chilperic and his new Queen. In 575 when it looked like Brunhild and Sigebert were winning the family feud, Queen Fredegund and King Chilperic had Sigebert killed and Brunhild captured. Brunhild managed to escape and ruled as regent for her son Childebert II. After Childebert died she continued to rule in the name of her grandson.

However, Clothaire II of Neustria, son of Queen Fredegund, had carried on the family feud on behalf of his mother. He solicited the help of Pepin the Elder, then Queen Brunhild's administrator. Pepin turned to Arnulf, Bishop of Metz, who also had no love lost for Brunhild as the later Merovingian rulers made life difficult for the church and its clergy. In 1613 Pepin and Arnulf assisted Clothaire's army in the capture of Queen Brunhild who was subjected to three days of torture and eventually a violent death. For the rest of his years Pepin the Elder continued as Mayor of the Palace for Clothaire II, now King of Austrasia.

Pepin was praised for his good government and wise counsel. He was never canonized, but he is listed in some martyrologies as a saint. His feast date was February 21.

d. c. 640

byname PEPIN OF LANDEN, OR PEPIN THE ELDER, French PÉPIN DE LANDEN, ORPÉPIN LE VIEUX, councillor of the Merovingian king Chlotar II and mayorof the palace in Austrasia.

Through the marriage of his daughter Begga with Ansegisel, son of Arnulf(d. 641; bishop of Metz), Pepin was the founder of the Carolingiandynasty. Deprived of his mayoralty at the accession (629) of Dagobert I,he regained power in Austrasia after that king's death (January 639) butdid not long survive to enjoy it.

Copyright c 1994-2001 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

History: Pepin the Elder (circa 580-639), founder of the Carolingian dynasty. A noble of the Frankish kingdom of Austrasia, Pepin, also known as Pepin of Landen, joined with Arnulf, bishop of Metz, in the struggle to overthrow Brunhild, queen of Austrasia, in 613, and subsequently governed the kingdom as mayor of the palace for Brunhild's successor, Clotaire II. Pepin's descendants remained dominant in Austrasia, and in the following century displaced the Merovingians as the royal house of the Franks.

Pippin av Landen (efter ett gods i Brabant), ibland även kallad Pippin den äldre och Pippin I, död 639, morfar till Pippin av Herstal.

Han ställdes 622 som major domus och faktisk regeringsutövare vid den unge merovingiske kungen Dagobert I:s sida, då denne blev sin far Chlothar II:s medregent i Austrasien. Sedan Dagobert 629 blivit ensam kung både över Austrasien och Neustrien, föll Pippin i onåd och nödgades ta sin tillflykt till Akvitanien. Han återvann ställning och inflytande först efter Dagoberts död (639), men avled samma år efter att en kort tid ha styrt Austrasien i den unge kung Sigibert III:s namn. Genom Pippins dotter Beggas giftermål med Ansegisel, son till Arnulf av Metz, den karolingiska ättens stamfader, lades grunden till en förening av de båda familjernas omfattande besittningar.

Denna artikel är helt eller delvis baserad på material från Nordisk familjebok, 1904–1926

Suffix : Borgmästaren i den Palace

Pippin av Landen , även känd som Pippin d.ä. ( 580-640 ) var theFrankish borgmästare i Palace of Austrasien under den merovingiska kingsClotaire II, Dagobert I och Sigibert III från 615 eller 623 till 629 .

Även Pippin aldrig kanoniserad , han är listad som ett helgon i vissa oldmartyrologies .

Han hade två döttrar :

Begga , som gifte sig Ansegisel , son till Arnulf , biskop i Metz. Theson av detta äktenskap , Pippin Mellanöstern , var Charlemagne'sgreat - farfar.

Gertrud (625 - 17 mars 659 ) - begravdes i klostret Nijvelfounded av sin mor Itta . Hon blev senare helgonförklarad som helgon och isusually porträtteras tillsammans med möss.

och en son :

Grimoald , borgmästare i palatset i Austrasien från 650 till 661

Död 21 februari, c. 646 . Pepin var kanske den viktigaste, kraftfull person i riket under hans ålder. Som hertig av Brabant andmayor av slottet ( första minister ) av kungar Chlothar II, Dagobert I , och Sigibert III, beslöt han mycket av den politik som Franks.Pepin , förfader till den karolingiska ätten av franska kungar , wasthe make Välsignade Itta och far Grimoald , Sankt Gertrud ofNivelles och Saint Begga . Han beskrivs som " en älskare av fred och theconstant försvarare av sanning och rättvisa ", även om det kanske inte verkar thatway vid första anblicken.

Pepin och biskop Arnulf av Metz hjälpte kung Chlothar II av Neustrien i 613 inoverthrowing drottning Brunhilda av Austrasien . Som ett erkännande ofthe viktiga roller de spelade , utsedd Chlothar dem borgmästarna i thepalace att uttala Austrasien för Chlothar son Dagobert I från 623 . WhenPepin tillrättavisade Dagobert (som hade efterträtt sin far om 629) forhis utsvävande liv , Dagobert utsläpp honom och han gick i pension toAquitaine . Dagobert fortfarande respekterade honom tillräckligt för att utnämna honom handledare ofhis tre -årige son Sigibert före sin död 638 , och Pepinreturned och regerade riket till sin död året därpå.

Pepin arbetade för att sprida tron hela riket valde defendedChristian städer från slaviska invasionen, och ansvariga människor tofill ledig ser. Äktenskapet av hans dotter Begga och BishopArnulf son, Segislius , producerade Pippin av Herstal , den första av theCarolingian dynastin i Frankrike. Pippin av Landen begravdes i Landen , men hans reliker översattes senare till Nivelle , där de nowenshrined med sin fru och dotter Gertrud. Här är feastis hålls. Pepin var aldrig kanoniserad men är listad som ett helgon i nâgra av gamla Belgic martyrologies och en litania som offentliggjorts av authorityof ärkebiskopen av Mechlin ( Benediktiner , Delaney, Wikipedia , Husenbeth ).

CHARLEMAGNE THE PIOUS AND PROLIFIC PROGENITOR By: Xenia Stanford Biography & Archived Articles Article Published December 23, 1999

Although a Christian should take only one wife even then, Charlemagne had four. He may have been married to only one at a time. However, he also kept five known mistresses throughout his marriages. Charles the Great sired at least eighteen children, only eight of whom were legitimate. He refused to let his daughters marry so he would not lose them but he allowed them numerous affairs out of which came several illegitimate children. In spite of this, he was a deeply devout man.

He was well versed in the scriptures and quoted chapter and verse to those who erred in their ways. He supported the Church through organization and funding but he was also very demanding of its behaviour. Many of his capitularies deal with how the clergy should act and how they should improve their morals. He expected much more of them than of himself. He expected celibacy at a time when even Popes were known for their debauchery. Nuns particularly were victims of his scathing attacks on their whoring.

He also demanded that the Church not tolerate image worship and superstition even though most of the religious hierarchy disagreed with him. He also blasted the clergy in one of his capitularies in 811 for the earthly possessiveness and cheating of their parishioners. He introduced tithing (one tenth of income) to counteract the Church's need against the Church's greed. Charlemagne himself left one-third of his estates to the Church.

Known to be ruthless in his evangelical efforts to bring Christianity to all (even to the beheading of those who refused to be baptized), he was honest and caring in his dealings with his earthly empire and strove to improve the preparation of himself and his subjects for the world beyond life. Years after his death, the Church ignored his worldly indiscretions and beatified him for his contributions.

CHARLEMAGNE - GREAT BOON TO GENEALOGISTS To this great man we also owe much in terms of genealogical records for he required the church to document baptisms, marriages and wills. Always one for standardization, he insisted the priests record these events diligently and consistently. This was at least the beginning of parish records. Though none have been found dating from this period, Charlemagne reinforced the importance of maintaining documentary evidence, which no doubt contributed to the earliest registers to be uncovered.

The oldest register found so far, which covers the cities of Givry in Saône and Loire (Saône-et-Loire) for the years1334 to 1357, was after the influence of the next great reformer King Louis IX, canonized as Saint Louis. However, Saint Louis definitely drew upon the practices established by his predecessor.

Charlemagne's own secretary Einhard kept a diary or record of the great man's life. Though often it seems exaggerated, it remains a way to understand history as it unfolded. Charlemagne was also the subject of much literature during his time and later, such as the poems of Theobold. In 814 he died at Aachen from pleurisy in the forty-seventh year of his reign with his son Louis already crowned as his successor. He was seventy-two years old but his legacy to history still lives on.

CHARLEMAGNE - ANCESTRY According to some the greatest of all rulers of Francia may not have been French at all. Charlemagne was believed to be mainly German as he was reputed to be blond and spoke German as his primary tongue. The difficulty is, even knowing as much as we know about Charlemagne, we know little about his ancestry and truly what mix of blood ran through his ancestors' veins.

Were the Merovingians French just because they arose from the Frankish people and the Carolingian rulers German? The Franks themselves were Germanic in origin and replaced the Celts who were the first known inhabitants of what is now France. Although the nations of France and Germany became dreaded enemies, I don't think we can separate them so categorically during or before the time of Charlemagne.

As explained in the past issues, Charlemagne arose from the line of chief administrators known as Mayors of the Palace who served under and later over the Merovingian kings. However, despite the hard efforts of genealogists the Carolingian lineage named for Charlemagne can only be truly documented as far back as his 3rd great grandfather. We know his grandfather Pepin d'Herstal or Pepin I (Pippin I to some historians) was the grandson of Pepin the Elder but the generation before and the generation between are unnamed in the histories found to date.

As we can see people, such as the rulers above, were distinguished by "nicknames". No one had surnames at the time and later historians named the dynastic lines after a significant ruler but naming people after some physical attribute, profession or characteristic was certainly prominent then. What is also significant is that many women's names were recorded as well. Thus we know that Pepin d'Herstal was married to a woman named Itta.

Pepin and Itta had three known children. One, a girl named Gertrude, became an abbess and was not known to have any offspring but the other two had descendants. Although the other daughter, Begga, was to produce the most significant heirs, initially the couple's only known son, Grimoald, gained his father's position and title of Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia after Pepin I's death about 639 or 640 AD.

Thus so far we have the following lineage: (See website for diagram)

Grimoald had a daughter Wulfetrude who became a well-known abbess. Although the actual paternity of another child called Childebert has been questioned, Grimoald claimed him as son and named him in 656 AD as the successor to King Sigebert of Neustria over Sigebert's son and heir Dagobert. Dagobert was exiled to Ireland but his supporters were so angered by the coup they captured and killed Grimoald soon after.

Childebert died in 662 but already the kingdom had been thrown into turmoil with the wars between Neustria and Austrasia and between the Merovingian heirs and the descendants of the powerful mayors. Although Grimoald had a grandson Childebrand whose parents' names are unknown, it was his nephew, son of sister Begga who regained the mayoral supremacy and the rule.

Begga married Ansegisel and produced a son, Pepin or Pippin named for her father. This Pepin (now called Pepin II) had children by at least two women. One of these women was his wife Plectrude and the other his mistress Alpaida.

He married Plectrude around 670 for her inheritance of substantial estates in the Moselle region. They produced at least two children and through them at least two significant grandchildren. These legitimate children and grandchildren claimed themselves to be Pepin's true successors and with the help of his widow Plectrude tried to maintain the position of Mayor of the Palace after their progenitor's death on December 16, 714.

The position of Mayor of the Palace had over the years become one of great significance and with the work of Pepin the Elder and his grandson Pepin d'Herstal it had become as important if not greater than the role of the king. Under Grimoald the land holdings and influence of the Mayor had increased. Pepin II was not satisfied with ruling only Austrasia, thus in 690 he also took over as Mayor of the Palace for Neustrian King Theuderic. Although the king still sat on the throne, the role and title of Mayor as well as Pepin's fortunes in land were inheritances to be coveted.

However, the son of Pepin II and his mistress Alpaida gained favour among the Austrasians and despite the efforts of Plectrude to silence her rival's child by imprisoning him, he became the one Mayor of the Palace and true ruler of Francia. This illegitimate son of Pepin II was Charles Martellus (the Hammer) or Charles Martel whose deeds have been explained in previous issues.

His descent from Begga is as follows: (see website for diagram)

Like his father, Charles had rival children from two unions, that of his wives: Rotrude and Swanachild. Charles had deposed both kings by 739 and began rule under the title of Princeps or Prince. In 740 he placed his two sons from his first marriage, Pepin III (aka Pepin Le Bref or the Short) and Carloman as the Mayors of the Palaces of Neustria and Austrasia respectively.

Grifo, the son of Charles and second wife Swanachild, was appointed ruler of Thuringia about the same time. However, after Charles death in 741, Grifo's half-brothers banished Swanachild to a convent and imprisoned Grifo.

In 746 Carloman, apparently the more militarily successful of the brothers, resigned as Mayor of Austrasia and went to Rome for monastic training. He placed the Mayoralty into the hands of his young son, Drogo, and asked the boy's uncle Pepin Le Bref to watch over him and the administration of Austrasia. Instead Pepin took over complete control about a year later and in 751 convinced the Pope to make him King of all Franks and his wife Bertrada the Queen. Drogo who continued to protest was thrown into prison by his uncle in 753.

Pepin Le Bref or Pepin the Short had two sons by Bertrada. Charles, the eldest, was born in 748 prior to his parent's marriage. In order to legitimize his son and ensure his succession rather than Drogo's, Pepin married Bertrada in 749. In 751 their second son Carloman (II to distinguish him from his uncle) was born.

After Pepin's death in 768 AD, his two sons split the kingdom once again. The older son Charles was given Austrasia and other lands. Carloman was given various regions but Neustria was not listed by name since it appears to have been divided between the two rather than given in totality to Carloman. This division did not last long as Carloman died on December 4, 771.

Thus the descent from Charles Martel is as follows: (see website for diagram)

It may be amazing to learn the deaths of these rulers were recorded accurately giving date and place of death and age at death. Fredegar, the historian, used church records from Saint-Denis to find the exact death dates of Pepin II and III as well as Carloman II.

No longer did historians have to live during the time for accurate information nor did they need to rely solely on word of mouth, legends or the writings of others. However, as stated under Charlemagne - Great Boon to Genealogists, we have seen that the records of the Church and of administration were soon to increase even more in frequency and accuracy due to the work of Carloman II's brother Charles, whom we know better as Charlemagne.

CHARLEMAGNE - DESCENDANCY Although Charlemagne's son and successor Louis I succeeded in keeping the kingdom together during his lifetime, after he died the empire was divided into three among his sons. The youngest, Charles "the Bald" became Emperor of France, another son, Louis "the German", was crowned King of Germany and Austria and the third, Lothaire, ruled Belgium. From these three Kings came the nations above that continue to exist today though the borders changed over the years.

From their descendants and those of the other many children of Charlemagne come countless numbers who are the progeny of this great man. These may be patriots of any of those three original nations but many can be found elsewhere in the world.

One of the lines for many North Americans descends through Catherine Baillon, a "fille de roi" who came to New France and married Pierre Miville. Baillon's descent from King Philippe II Auguste of France (a descendant of Charlemagne and wife Hildegard) has been carefully researched. The work has primarily been conducted by four genealogists who are all well-known for their past accurate and well-documented works. They are René Jetté, John P. DuLong, Roland-Yves Gagné, and Gail F. Moreau who have a website dedicated to the Baillon genealogy at http://www.habitant.org/baillon.

This foursome has obtained extensive and expensive documentation from original sources. So far they have written two articles, one in French and one in English, and are currently working on a book to share their findings with us. Although I have not read either article, I know all four through their prior works, contributions to lists and email correspondence. Therefore, I have no hesitation in recommending you read either of the two articles cited below:

René Jetté, John P. DuLong, Roland-Yves Gagné, and Gail F. Moreau. "De Catherine Baillon à Charlemagne." Mémoires de la Société généalogique canadienne-française 48 (Autumn), 1997: 190-216 (in French).

René Jetté, John P. DuLong, Roland-Yves Gagné, and Gail F. Moreau. "From Catherine Baillon to Charlemagne." _American-Canadian Genealogist_ 25:4 (Fall 1999): 170-200 (in English).

The latter may be obtained at $3.00 US plus $1.50 US for postage and handling (shipping on additional copies ordered at the same time is $.90 each) from the following address:

American-Canadian Genealogical Society Treasurer P. O. Box 6478 Manchester, NH 03108-6478

http://globalgenealogy.com/globalgazette/gazxs/gazxs46.htm ------------------

Encyclopedia Britannica, Treatise on

Note: Page: Pepin I
Note: Title: Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists, 7th Edition, by Frederick Lewis Weis, additions by Walter Lee Shippard Jr., 1999
Note: Page: 190-9
Note: Title: Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists, 7th Edition, by Frederick Lewis Weis, additions by Walter Lee Shippard Jr., 1999
Note: Page: 190-9
Note: Text: I think this was a misprint - the same death date as his daughter St Begga

Pipino di Landen m.640 detto anche Pipino il Vecchio o Pipino I (575 circa – Landen, 21 febbraio 640), fu Maggiordomo di palazzo del regno merovingio di Austrasia. Morì nel suo castello di Landen il 21 febbraio 640: il suo corpo venne sepolto nel monastero di Nivelles. Ebbe tre figli: Begga, che sposò il figlio di Arnolfo di Metz, e fu madre di Pipino di Herstal; Gertrude, badessa del monastero di Nivelles, e Grimoaldo, che fu Maggiordomo d'Austrasia dal 650 al 661.

Saint Arnulf of Metz (c 582, Lay-Saint-Christophe, Meurthe-et-Moselle — 640) was a Frankish bishop of Metz and advisor to the Merovingian court of Austrasia, who retired to the Abbey of Remiremont.

Arnulf was born of an important Frankish family at an uncertain date around 582.

In his younger years he was called to the Merovingian court of king Theudebert II (595-612) of Austrasia and sent to serve as dux at the Schelde.

Later he became bishop of Metz.

During his career he was attracted to religious life, and he retired to become a monk.

After his death he was canonized as a saint.

In French he is also known as Arnoul or Arnoulf.

Arnulf gave distinguished service at the Austrasian court under Theudebert II After the death of Theudebert in 612 he was made bishop of Metz.

The rule of Austrasia came into the hands of Brunhilda, the grandmother of Theudebert, who ruled also in Burgundy in the name of her great-grandchildren.

In 613 Arnulf joined his politics with Pippin of Landen and led the opposition of Frankish nobles against Queen Brunhilda.

The revolt led to her overthrow, torture, and eventual execution, and the subsequent reunification of Frankish lands under Chlothachar II.

Chlothachar later made his son Dagobert I king of Austrasia and he ruled with the help of his advisor Arnulf.

Not satisfied with his position, as a bishop he was involved in the murder of Chrodoald in 624, an important leader of the Frankish Agilolfings family and a protégé of Dagobert.

From 623 (with Pippin of Landen, then the Mayor of the Palace), Arnulf was an adviser to Dagobert I.

He retired around 628 to a hermitage at a mountain site in the Vosges, to realize his lifelong resolution to become a monk and a hermit.

His friend Romaric, whose parents were killed by Brunhilda, had preceded him to the mountains and together with Amatus had already established Remiremont Abbey there. Arnulf settled there, and remained there until his death twelve years later.

Arnulf was canonized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. In iconography he is portrayed with a rake in his hand and is often confused in legend with Arnold of Soissons, who is a patron saint of brewing.

Shortly after 800, most likely in Metz, a brief genealogy of the Carolingians was compiled, modelled in style after the genealogy of Jesus in the New Testament.

According to this source, Arnulf's father was a certain Arnoald, who in turn was the son of a nobilissimus Ansbertus and Blithilt (or Blithilde), an alleged and otherwise unattested daughter of Chlothar I.

This late attribution of royal Merovingian descent at a time when the Carolingian dynasty was at the peak of its power contrasts clearly with the contemporary Vita Sancti Arnulfi's failure to mention any such a connection:

The Vita, written shortly after the saint's death, merely states that he was of Frankish ancestry, from "sufficiently elevated and noble parentage, and very rich in worldly goods", without making any claims to royal blood.

While modern historians generally dismiss the later Carolingian genealogy as spurious, it constitutes an important link in Christian Settipani's suggested line of unbroken descent from antiquity via Flavius Afranius Syagrius.

Arnulf was married ca 596 to a woman whom later sources give the name of Dode or Doda, (born ca 584), and had children.

Chlodulf of Metz was his oldest son, but more important is his second son Ansegisel, who married Begga daughter of Pepin I, Pippin of Landen.

SO MANY PEPINS ! - DISAMBIGUATION TEMPLATE for discussion & editing from Charlemagne Project

From youngest/ most chronologically recent:

Pepin d810, King of Italy, originally called Carloman, son of Charlemagne & Hildegarde

Pepin The Hunchback d811 , eldest, but 'illegitimate' son of Charlemagne & Himiltrude

Pepin III d768, '”le Bref” The Short', Mayor of the Palace of Neustria, King of the Franks, father Charlemagne - son of Charles Martel & Rotrude

Pepin II d714, 'The Younger' or 'The Middle' 'of Heristal', Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia, Neustria & Burgundy, paternal grandfather of Pepin III d768 through Charles Martel - son of Begga & Ansegis

Pepin I d639, 'The Elder' 'of Landen', Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia m Itta,; maternal grandfather of Pepin II d714 , through Begga

Pepin, the Grandfather of Pepin I - Does he exist? (Input here, please – Sharon)
- http://globalgenealogy.com/globalgazette/gazxs/gazxs46.html has NN parents for Pepin I, with a Pepin as one of their parents. But http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepin_I] names his father as Carloman and NN for his mother, & no grandparents. On our tree, Pepin I's mother is Gertrudis (whose father is Garibald, not Pepin), & his father is Carloman (whose father is Charles, not Pepin) MY DECISION WOULD BE TO REMOVE PEPIN, GRANDFATHER OF PEPIN I , because the source for this: http://globalgenealogy.com/globalgazette/gazxs/gazxs46.htm] also gets the Heristal/Landen Pepins wrong, so I feel I shouldn’t trust it. THAT MEANS WE’RE GOING WITH THE WIKIPAEDIA VERSION OF THE FATHER AS CARLOMAN,;BUT THAT DOESN’T GET AS FAR BACK AS THE GRANDPARENTS – A LTHOUGH OUR TREE DOES.

Leo: Caroli Magni Progenies, Neustadt an der Aisch, 1977 , Rösch, Siegfried, Reference: 52.

Leo: Kwartieren Greidanus-Jaeger in Stamreeksen, 1994, 's-Gravenhage, Wimersma Greidanus, Mr. G. J. J. van, Reference: 754.

http://www.our-royal-titled-noble-and-commoner-ancestors.com/p336.h...

Pepin of Landen From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 (Redirected from Pippin of Landen) "Pepin I" redirects here. For the king of Aquitaine, see Pepin I of Aquitaine.

For the count of Vermandois, see Pepin, Count of Vermandois.
Carolingian dynasty Pippinids

   Pippin the Elder (c. 580–640)

   Grimoald (616–656)

   Childebert the Adopted (d. 662)

Arnulfings

   Arnulf of Metz (582–640)

   Chlodulf of Metz (d. 696 or 697)

   Ansegisel (c.602–before 679)

   Pippin the Middle (c.635–714)

   Grimoald II (d. 714)

   Drogo of Champagne (670–708)

   Theudoald (d. 714)

Carolingians

   Charles Martel (686–741)

   Carloman (d. 754)

   Pepin the Short (714–768)

   Carloman I (751–771)

   Charlemagne (d. 814)

   Louis the Pious (778–840)

After the Treaty of Verdun (843)

   Lothair I, Holy Roman Emperor (795–855)

   (Middle Francia)

   Charles the Bald (823–877)

   (Western Francia)

   Louis the German (804–876)

   (Eastern Francia)